This delicious Creamy Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta is the best pink sauce pasta recipe you'll ever need. Rich, tasty, simple, and ready in under 30 minutes!!
With summer just around the corner, quick and simple pasta dishes are always welcome in the household. This pasta dish may look plain and simple, but thanks to rich ingredients such as fresh cherry tomatoes, herbs, and mascarpone cheese, I promise that this is the most delicious pink sauce pasta recipe out there! Ready in under 30 minutes, this quick recipe will become a summer family favourite in no time!
Ingredients & Tips for Creamy Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta
For this Creamy Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta, you will need the following ingredients:
- Olive Oil - to saute your main ingredients. I also love to add a few drops to the pasta water before adding in the pasta to prevent it from sticking together
- Onion - a medium-sized onion is enough for this recipe. Chop it into approximately equal rounds (no need to stress about this as the sauce will be processed in the end 😉 )
- Garlic clove - finely chopped and added for flavor
- Italian Seasoning - I use dry Italian Mixed Herbs which include a mixture of dried onions, red bell pepper, celery, and chives
- Dried Chilli Flakes- for a slightly spicy flavor (you may add as much as desired, or eliminate completely)
- Cherry Tomatoes - I prefer fresh cherry tomatoes rather than canned tomatoes for this recipe. I believe fresh tomatoes contribute to the richness and freshness of this sauce
- Tomato Paste - to add flavor and color
- Chicken Stock - for flavor and the liquid base of the sauce (I prefer low-sodium)
- Salt and Pepper - to taste. I like to add some salt to boiling water before adding the pasta
- Pasta Water - this starchy water helps glue the pasta and sauce together and is one of the biggest secrets for delicious and perfect pasta sauces. Make sure to reserve some pasta water right before draining your pasta when finished cooking!
- Pasta - obviously! (Any type is fine)
- Mascarpone Cheese - the ingredient responsible for this very rich and smooth creamy sauce! You need to add this in the very end!
- Parmesan Cheese - sprinkle over pasta right before serving
Tools for Creamy Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta
You will also need the following tools:
- Cutting board
- Cutting knife
- Large skillet
- Large pot
- Wooden spoon
- Food processor
- Tablespoon
- Teaspoon
This recipe yields 4 servings and will produce a decent amount of sauce. You may choose to eliminate chilli flakes altogether if you don't like the slightly hot twist. I prefer using low-sodium chicken stock, but if using chicken stock with added salt, you may want to avoid adding extra salt to the sauce and/ or pasta. Any type of pasta goes well with this recipe. In case you're wondering, I used bucatini pasta for the photos (thick and spaghetti-like). Boil your pasta according to package instructions. I like to cook my pasta 1-2 minutes less than instructed as we prefer the al-dente version, but that's completely up to you! Unfortunately, you cannot really make this sauce ahead, since you would require the reserved pasta water, meaning you need to cook the pasta at the same time of sauce preparation, however as I said, this recipe takes no time at all to do!
If you've tried this delicious Creamy Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta, let me know your thoughts in the comments below and don't forget to rate the recipe! Also, don't forget to follow me on Pinterest, and Instagram to stay updated with any new recipes! Check out my other pasta recipes if you're a pasta lover like me!
Creamy Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta
Ingredients
- 400 g dried pasta of your choice
- 2 tbsp. olive oil + 1 tsp.
- 1 medium-sized onion diced
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp. dried chilli
- 4 tbsp. parmesan cheese grated
- 3 ½ tbsp. mascarpone cheese
- 400 g cherry tomatoes washed and with skin on
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 cup chicken stock low-sodium
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ cup reserved pasta water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil water in a large pot and add ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp. olive oil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al-dente and drain. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining pasta.
- In a skillet on medium heat, place olive oil, add onion and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, tomatoes, and herbs (Italian seasoning, salt and chilli) and sauté for another 2-3 minutes on medium heat.
- Add chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes until tomatoes have softened. Add tomato paste and pasta water after 10 minutes of simmering.
- Add mascarpone and stir to combine. Simmer for another 1 minute.
- Remove sauce from heat, cool down, place in food processor, and pulse until smooth.
- In a large bowl, mix pasta with sauce and stir to combine.
- Serve pasta with Parmesan cheese as desired.
Leave a Reply